


Pacing The Cage

by silasfinch



Series: Fantastical Worlds [2]
Category: Saving Hope (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/F, Gen, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silasfinch/pseuds/silasfinch
Summary: AU: Maggie Lin was in danger of falling in love with Sydney Katz when they were schoolmates and apprentice healers together. The danger hasn't lessened in the intervening decades.





	Pacing The Cage

**Author's Note:**

> I was feeling whimsical and wrote this to cheer myself up above life.




_I never knew what you all wanted_   
_So I gave you everything_   
_All that I could pillage_   
_All the spells that I could sing_   
_It's as if the thing were written_   
_In the constitution of the age_   
_Sooner or later you'll wind up_   
_Pacing the cage_

_Sometimes the best map will not guide you_  
_You can't see what's round the bend_  
_Sometimes the road leads through dark places_  
_Sometimes the darkness is your friend_  
**Bruce Cockburn- Pacing The Cage**

  
Sydney Katz is still amazing in every way.

Objectively Maggie Lin knows that her fellow healer wouldn't have lost her core character in the decade since their parting but seeing Sydney up close still provokes a visceral response in her soul. She was halfway in love with her friend during their final year at the Canadian School of Magic. They danced around the subject, but neither was brave enough to proclaim feelings.

Many of their friends made jokes about casting a truth spell on the non-couple, but the personal drama wasn't worth getting expelled over. Sydney came from a Muggle Orthodox family with traditions and high expectations for the daughter who wasn't ever supposed to be a witch. Fear of their daughter casting a rouge spell and the synagogue motivated them to send her for training at the boarding school, but distance didn't absolve her from the duty and honour as a good Jewish daughter. Maggie adored her classmate and study partner enough not to declare her feelings and create dilemma and heartache before advanced placement exams.

Starting a rotation at Hope Zion Hospital of Integrated Medicine meant that Healer Maggie Lin would see Sydney Katz eventually but knowing and being face to face are entirely different things. The years were kind to Sydney Katz, and she looks youthful even with the firm scowl and muttering in a mixture of English and Hebrew.

"What kind of modern institution still uses stirrups it's degrading and pointless- heck even a spell would be better at this point."

"Maybe they didn't get the memo, or Owl post got lost over Montreal, Canadian weather is notorious these days or so says The Maple Prophet." Maggie quips vaguely surprised her voice remains casual.

The way Sydney freezes in mid-action with her wand is almost comical. The 10' inch Rosewood with unicorn hair is the same one from their advanced placement courses, and the sight of it makes Maggie smile.

"Maggie, what are you doing here?"

If she didn't know Sydney so well, Maggie would have taken offence at the sharp tone, but Healer Katz didn't do well when caught off guard. The field of Integrated Fetal Medicine is small enough that the two healers were aware of the presence of each other but successfully avoided face to face meetings until now. Naturally, Sydney prodigious talent meant that she was something of a superstar and held seniority in the same way teachers could barely fault her spellwork.

"I'm your locum Healer while Dr Wilder is off learning healing arts from the Vaela Emergency Clinic or something. My paperwork came through this morning" Maggie offers before waving her ID Bage and the moving hologram within.

"Well, I can say you are an improvement on all previous locums and our resident healer. I can rely on you to understand the meaning of a minimally invasive spell and the delicacy of the developing fetus and the sensitivity to the magical arts" Sydney says evenly.

The two women stare at each other, uncertainty for several long moments. They are both multilingual, but communication was always their downfall unless the discussion revolves chemistry or healing spells. For the first time in nearly twenty years, Maggie feels her grip on her core magic slip and the instruments on desk start to tremble but do not levitate. Sydney does her the cautious of not commenting or casting a counteractive spell.

"Is it ok to tell you how I missed you?" Maggie whispers voice cracking slightly

"Only if I get to do the same"

Without conscious thought, Maggie reaches and pulls the smaller woman into a tight embrace that borders on suffocating. The scent of healing herbs and spell casting along with the smell of Syd's favourite perfume is familiar and comforting. There is a faint tremble in the arms that grasp just as tightly and well beyond what propriety dictates.

  
***

The first rule is that they don't discuss personal matters in the hospital.

It is a truth more or less universally acknowledged that healers use gossip as an outlet for long stressful shifts with more disappointments and triumphs. The mysterious Sydney Katz, who is from a Muggle family but displays prodigious talent, is a prime target for gossip. Maggie acknowledges that they went to school together and advanced placement healing training but does not offer any insights beyond that. Instead, she hides her knowledge and memories like a treasure.

There isn't much time to indulgent in idle speculation anyway most hospitals don't pay much attention to the temporary healers beyond ensuring they are competent to do their job. Hope Zion is different the hospital not only practices a unique brand of medicine but teaching as well. Sydney Katz puts her through several intense drills about healing spell casting and the interplay between material and fetal needs.

"We have a saying at Hope Zion 'Trust Magic as a tool, not a touchstone. The ability to use magic is a beautiful gift, but this should never replace your physical senses and instincts, especially when dealing with the miracle that is the womb and umbilical core."

Maggie nods, watching in awe as Sydney casts a whisper of a spell to encourage better breathing for a newborn in the NICU. The blearing of monitors immediately settles into a satisfactory rhythm. The magic barely registers, and you would need to be a healer even to sense the magic. The baby girl barely stirs from her sleep, and the dormant witchcraft within doesn't register.

"Babies aren't tiny humans, but miraculous beings with unique anatomy and needs" Maggie quotes with a smile.

"Correct Healer Lin"

"It never gets old, bringing children into the world, either with magically or by traditional means?" Maggie observes as they move to the next incubator.

"When that happens, you need to get out; Obstetrics isn't for babies."

  
***

The second rule is the importance of getting to know each other as adults.

Maggie's job is to fill in at the department wherever another pair of hands is needed. Dr Wilder carries a comparatively small patient load as he was nearing his research sabbatical, but the department is never short of patients and problems. Sydney Katz is known to take the most challenging and complex cases, so Maggie finds her self assisting more often than not. Her fearsome reputation means that other healers willing trade shifts with her.

"The parents are ridiculous if we know the baby is a Squibb than we can pursue a more aggressive form of healing and guarantee bone regeneration with no lasting consequences, magic isn't everything in life!"

Maggie watches as Sydney paces the locker room seemingly dissatisfied with the limited space to move. If there weren't strict guidelines about such things, Healer Katz would have transformed into her Animagus form and flown for a while. Her ponytail is swinging with every jerk, and her sneakers squick loudly underneath the healer's robes. If it were possible to radiate emotion, Syd would be the definition of the term.

" You are Muggle-Born Syd it's more natural for you to understand the non-magical world for the wizarding families there is still a lot of stigma around having a non-magical child especially with the populations being so low after the Wizarding Wars."

"A life is still a life, and I took my healing oath seriously, that child is not going to die needlessly," Sydney says stubbornly.

"What are you going to do, convene a Magical Law Court and force them to take the test and subsequent treatment?"

"If I have to."

"Let me talk to Annie and Peter in the morning. The ancient and noble House of Lin is a crumbling mess, but we have some experience with recessive genes."

"Thank you."

  
***

The third rule is that they are careful when they talk about the past.

"My marriage failed spectacularly not that I blame Hershel. Marriage to a witch who could not and would not hide her magical would be a trial for any Jewish man much less a scholar of the Talmud. Leviticus is not kind to aberrations on the human continuum."

Maggie looks up from the Wizard Chess Board in surprise Sydney never mentions her personal life beyond the fact she is an out lesbian, which causes her family to panic all over again. Apparently, it is hard for the Katz family to decide which is the worse sin. The alcohol in the Maple and Pumpkin juice might be having an affect judging by her rosy cheeks and loose tongue.

"To be fair I think he would have weathered that storm if it wasn't for you," Sydney said as she prompts her impatient queen to move with a dismissive wave.

"Me?" Maggie asks quietly

Sydney sighs before reaching into her robe to retrieve her wallet shifting through random currency before pulling out a rumbled piece of paper that is fading with age and weak spells. Syd handles the item with care as if it was a fragile newborn.

Maggie freezes when Sydney slides the paper across the table before returning attention to the chessboard without comment. Maggie Lin would know that image anywhere even if it wasn't a magical photo that captures a moving image. A younger version of Sydney and Maggie are beaming and waving at the camera while wearing their appearance healer robes for the first time.

"Hershel didn't want to compete with the ghosts from my past both literal and figurative."

  
***

The first rule is they approach a potential relationship slowly.

Their first date is not really at the date at all they attend a lecture together before having dinner together at a local Jewish restaurant that is hosting Syd's favourite magical band. The music and the food are excellent, and the tables are quiet enough to speak privately without casting a silencing spell.

"Thank you for letting me leave. I didn't dare to love you at school, acknowledging our feelings would have only made things worse." Sydney whispers

"I know, but that didn't give you tacit permission to ignore my existence for the better part of a decade." Maggie retorts finally letting the hurt show "I wasn't going to turn up on your door waving a bisexual pride flag or covering my owl post in rainbows."

"Not seeing you were the only way I could get through the daily mental gymnastics routine of turning myself into the perfect Jewish daughter and later wife. If its any consolation I thought about you constantly, and my heart broke anew."

"The idea of you in pain brings me no joy at all. I would have gladly attended your wedding and honoured your husband if the ceremony made you happy yet you chose to suffer alone and in silence."

"Rebecca jokes I would make a better Catholic martyr than a Jew, but I am trying to change, and I hope you will be patient with me."

  
***

Their first date is magical in the most real sense of the world.

It is Maggie who suggests they travel to one of the remote forest tracks and transfigure into their animal forms; this is a luxurious use of magic, but both witches are careful with their supplies and levels. If one squints hard enough, you could justify this exercise as a training exercise and advanced magical mental discipline. By coincidence, they both possess bird alter egos and similar magical weavings. The weather is beautiful for flying, and the thermal lift is invigorating.

"Race you to the sky" Sydney calls with a delighted laugh.

Maggie is usually a competitive person, but she is too happy to do anything but take the form of a snow goose and follow Sydney into the sky as she does elaborate dives and twists. Sydney Katz is graceful in any form and makes flying look like a second career. Maggie would be jealous if she weren't so impressed.

"I could fly like that forever" Sydney confesses as they start eating their picnic dinner.

"I know the feeling, but human limbs are useful for some things" Maggie flirts with a smile.

Sydney signals her agreement by leaning for a gentle kiss that promises far more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
